Whats the best dehydrated meals out their? My criteria being taste, nutrition and the ability to only need one pan of boiling water to make it.

I’ll be packing them as ’emergency’ or as the odd meal for a backpacking trip.

Ta

A few weeks ago I cooked up some fresh Chicken Pillaf, bagged it up and froze it.

On the hill warmed through with a little water nothing I have had on the hill has even come close.

My pals enjoyed it as well.

I was a fan of these dehydrated meals but I now cook, bag and freeze fresh.

Each too their own though.

Just take pre packed cous cous – the ainsley harriot stuff is quite good – you may need 2 sachets if your very hungry. Its about £1.70-80 for 2 sachets (currently on two for one at somerfield).
http://www.ainsley-harriott.co.uk/ainsley-harriott-cous.htm

Thread closed

Personally I don’t bother with “meals” for Polaris/OMM type events nowadays. Instead I have a selection of stuff which just requires boiling water – pot pasta (start with that – I’ve then got something to eat the rest from) packet soup with pasta, packet noodles, flavoured cous-cous, dried apricots with instant custard, hot chocolate is a normal menu. All “normal” food I’d be happy to eat at home.

Those are probably all cheaper / tastier too.

Ramen. Lots and lots and lots of Ramen. Unless you need more than just carbs in which case, nfc.

Like montylikesbeer suggested can’t you just make a stew or simular, freeze it put in your bag, by the time it comes to eat it’ll probably defrosted slightly bring to the boil and eat, no need to extra water or anything… mmm might try that myself Stew is good anyway but whilst out in the middle of nowhere will make it even more Rugged!

Thing I’d be more concerned about though is where will you get fresh bread and a cold beer from?!

Carrying stew or similar means carrying the water in it. Dehydrated is lighter 🙂

For backpacking I use pasta n sauce in various combinations.

My classic backpacking meal would be – cup a soup followed by pasta’n’sauce followed by either angel delight ( non diet) or an instant custard.

The issue with frozen stuff is it weighs a lot more than dehydrated does.

Will be passing shops en route so this stuff will be ‘in reserve’ or for times when I can’t be bothered.

Frozen is out of the question as I may want to eat it on days 2 – 4 and trying to keep weight down.

aracer: Not really. It’s just it’s all in one place. To rehydrate anything you need to add the original volume of water (more or less) so all things being equal, the weight is the same. The only advantage is on trips where you’ll be able to get water when you’re cooking so don’t have to carry the rehydration water.

Pasta with pesto, or alternatively pasta and a tomato sauce, with a Peperami put through it for some meaty goodness.

Pasta, noodles etc. Pesto for a bit of flavour. Dries fruit, Nuts and Raisins.

Choc as a comfort food ftw.

my housemate has proteing shakes that look and taste like angel delite, but contain 42g of whye protein, creatin, and a shed load of vitamins and minerals etc etc. Your meant to drink them with about a pint of water to make a milkshake, but about 150ml makes a yogurt type food, 200-300 angel delite/custard consitency. Also contains enough calories (mix of carbs mostly) to bump a packet upto a small meal. Much more satisfying than a mars bar, and not much more expensive.

Those and flavoured cous cous/pasta’n’sauce/savoury rice type meals will be my staple from now on on bivy trips.

Carrying stew or similar means carrying the water in it. Dehydrated is lighter

But then surely you need to carry the water to add to the dehydrated meal before cooking?

Mastiles – nope – water is freely available on any good mountain. Sometimes rather more than you wish

Carrying stew or similar means carrying the water in it. Dehydrated is lighter

But then surely you need to carry the water to add to the dehydrated meal before cooking?

Yeah, but you could get that at your campsite.

Fair enough – point taken re mountainside water. Not on the campsite comment though – I was ‘assuming’ that emergency meals meant not in a campsite hence no access to ‘normal’ facilities.
🙂

The only advantage is on trips where you’ll be able to get water when you’re cooking so don’t have to carry the rehydration water.

ie all trips.

If you can’t get hold of water, then I’d suggest you have bigger problems than not being able to rehydrate your dinner – where do you guys go that you can’t get water?

TandemJeremy – Member
Carrying stew or similar means carrying the water in it. Dehydrated is lighter

But surely you would have to carry the water to add to the dehydrated food??

For me its all about the experience, a wild camp with “proper food”, perhaps some sliced Chorizo a hand full of olives, is my preference over “space food”

Weight is relative in my view, get your pack weight down with the essentials and make room for good food and some treats.

But surely you would have to carry the water to add to the dehydrated food??

Is that deja vu?

I carry varying types of food depending on the trip – an onion and some garlic adds a fair bit to pasta n sauce and so on. a tin or two or tuna etc. If going really lightweight I just have the packets – if prepared to carry a bit extra weight then a few bits of fresh food and tins adds a lot of taste.

Teetwosugars – water is freely available on any good mountainside – see my post above

deja bu?

Not on the campsite comment though – I was ‘assuming’ that emergency meals meant not in a campsite hence no access to ‘normal’ facilities.

By campsite I meant the site of your camp, not a ‘proper’ campsite- you’d camp near water, or pick some up on the way.

vu deja? That feeling you know you are going to be hearing this again?

cous cous and beanfeast.

beanfeast being a soya based “mince” in gravey.
sounds rough, but its yummy, and is packed with prtoen and carbs.
winner!

NOM!!

Hearing what again?

i like the packet cous cous.

ainsly’s lemony one is good. 🙂

I’m with the Batchelors Pasta & Sauce. Quite tasty & filling.

Ainsley’s Mediterranean vegetable cous cous mings big time. Put me right off the whole range. Basically tastes like bland cous cous with the faint aroma of damp sock.

Give me a clove of garlic, and a paper twist full of cayenne pepper and cumin and I can give you 5000% more tasty cous cous in an instant.

Can’t believe no-one has suggested supernooddles yet. Taste of plastic, but you’ll keep on rolling for days on ’em.

how dehydrated is dehydrated.
how about pasta and a tube of pesto?
x

http://www.expeditionfoods.com/shop/index.php?cPath=23&osCsid=f63541c23db7d3cb1fd7fe27cc2ae1ad

not cheapest but light, tasty and full of calories

For emergency food I’ve seen it recommended to carry a sachet of moist dog food – the theory being that it will keep you alive in an emergency, and you won’t be tempted to eat it in a non-emergency.

However, the same logic apples to a lot of packaged foods 🙁

DrJ – where did you see that recommended? 🙄

In a pet shop 🙂

pasta n sauce and cup a soup?

salty salty salty – yuck

You don’t have to spunk in it Tim 🙄

Can’t believe no-one has suggested supernooddles yet.

pot pasta (start with that – I’ve then got something to eat the rest from) packet soup with pasta, packet noodles, flavoured cous-cous